


Fallen Angel

by nbshortie52



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Agender Character, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Major Original Character(s), Mild Language, Much Edgy, Other, Protagonist of Color, Relationship(s), SO ANGST, Underfell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:58:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbshortie52/pseuds/nbshortie52
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new victim has fallen into the ever-fabled Underground, in a world where monsters truly deserve to be locked up. They're killing machines, and will stop at nothing to slaughter any newcomer that crosses their path. It is not unheard of for humans to have ended up there before: Thing is, this new arrival is different from the others, in more ways than one. Only time will tell whether their BRAVERY will see them through.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Beginnings

FALLING. THEY WERE FALLING. That was the only thing Sam could register as they tumbled into the abyss. They spotted a root jutting out of the cave wall at the last second and held it fast, but it snapped beneath their momentum. _So this is it, then_ , Sam thought as they watched the light above them diminish, _my final descent_. Within seconds they would be crushed under the pressure of their own inertia. Any second now. Sam expected to see their life flash before their eyes, like everyone said it would in their final moments, but there was nothing to show; their life was probably too short to hold any memories of significance. Eighteen years was nothing for someone like them…

Or maybe it had to do with the fact that Sam didn’t die. They couldn’t recall actually hitting the ground, but they found themself sprawled out in a patch of yellow flowers, just like the ones outside the cave entrance. Sam couldn’t remember the plant’s common name for the life of them, even though, as a child, they used to cultivate those flowers with their father in their home garden. A burst of sound filled the cavern as Sam sneezed, unable to bury their mouth in the sleeve of their jacket in time. There was that, too: As much as they loved those sun-kissed petals, their body didn’t take kindly to the pollen.

“What the—get off of me!” A voice beneath them exclaimed.

“Oh! S-sorry, um…” Sam quickly stood up to try and address the speaker before letting out another sneeze. A flower popped out of the ground by their feet, causing them to emit a startled yelp and fall back down.

“ _Careful!_ ” The flower hissed. “Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed? If so, you’re doing a pretty good job of it.” Sam froze. “What are _you_ looking at?”

“You—you have a face. And you’re talking. To me.”

The flower crossed its leaves impatiently. “Yes, yes, I’m a talking flower. Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

Sam stammered. “It’s just…well…after all my years of practicing magic…I’ve _never_ heard of a talking flower.” They laughed nervously. “And I thought I’d seen everything.”

The flower eyed them with a puzzled expression. “What do you mean you ‘practice magic?’ You’re a human! Golly, that fall was harder on you than I initially thought.”

“But I’m _not_ a human!” Sam protested as they lifted themselves back up. “I’m a wizard! Look,” They raised their left hand and produced an orb of reddish-orange light. “See? Magic! Not crazy!”

The flower stared blankly. “Huh, so you were telling the truth. I’ve heard about magicians, but I never thought…” Sam waited expectantly for him to finish his sentence. “Anyway, wizard or not, we have to go before someone sees you.”

“So, if the legends are true, the inhabitants of this cave will likely want to kill me,” Sam hugged their elbow, a nervous tick.

“Yes, and if you want to survive, you’re going to have to be just as—if not _more_ —ruthless.” The flower drooped. “In this world, it’s ‘kill or be killed.’”

Sam hesitated. “Isn’t there a way that I can make it out alive _without_ murdering people?”

The flower sighed. “Listen, Hu—Wizard, it’s _them_ who are going to murder _you_ if you don’t wise up. If you kill a monster, it’s likely going to be in self-defense.” He reasoned. “They probably deserved it, anyway. That’s not murder.”

Sam shook their head indignantly. “I don’t care! I can’t kill someone! I won’t!”

“ _Shhhh!_ Keep your voice down or they’ll hear you! You don’t seem to understand the severity of this situation, uh…”

“Sam.”

“Okay, Sam—.”

“What’s your name?”

“That’s not important right now. Sam, if you choose to stay down here, you _will_ die. These monsters have truly earned their name; they kill and they kill, and they have absolutely no regret about what they’ve done, or how many lives they’ve ruined. That’s why they were trapped here in the first place. We can discuss the logistics later, but the longer we stand here talking, the more likely you are to wind up dead, so let’s get moving.” The flower disappeared into the ground.

“Where the hell did he go off to?” Sam wondered aloud.

“Over here!” He whispered, though it bounced off the walls of the cave nonetheless. He was only a few feet ahead of them. “And keep your voice down, for cryin’ out loud.” Sam nodded and followed quietly.

* * *

 

“Wow! This place is different from where I started.” Sam remarked, admiring the large pillars that came into view.

“These are the Ruins, the first place that monsters took up shelter after they were banished from the surface.” The flower responded. “At least, that’s what it says on all the plaques around here.”

“Oh.” The two continued in silence for the next few minutes.

“Stop right here.” The flower commanded. Sam did as they were told.

“Is everything alright?”

“There are some monsters in the ruins that you may potentially have to fight. I’ve decided that it’s probably wise to give you a proper tutorial before we go any further.”

“But I already told you—.”

“I _know_ what you told me!” The flower barked as seed-shaped pellets manifested behind him. “Just…pay attention, alright?!” Sam didn’t respond. “See that heart-shaped light glowing inside your chest?”

“What, my SOUL? Is it showing?” Sam looked down and quickly covered their shirt.

“First of all, calm down. Second, how do you already know about SOULs?”

Sam blushed. “Well, wizards are taught about—er—‘SOUL business’ in school. At least, that’s what we call it.” When it was obvious that the flower wasn’t going to contribute, they forced themself to continue. “Where I come from, it’s only appropriate for another to see your SOUL in…intimate situations. But sometimes, when you’re around a crush, or a significant other for a little while, your SOUL glows. It’s normal when you’re younger, but still pretty embarrassing.”

“O-oh.” The sentient flower cleared his throat. “Well, this is very different, I assure you. Right now, your SOUL is glowing because I just prepared my attack; it feels threatened. I’m going to send one of these bullets your way, and I want you to dodge it.”

“W-what?”

“I promise I’ll go easy on you. Just trust me, okay? Each hit only deals one damage, so, if you are hit, you’ll only go down one HP. Do you know what that is?”

“Hit points, right?”

“You know all this stuff, but they still don’t teach you how to fight?” The flower asked incredulously.

“I—I know the basics, but I’ve never been in a _real_ fight before.” Sam clarified. “It was only for gym credit in high school, anyway. The last time I sparred, I ended up hurting someone—that’s how my family figured out how much power I really had. An ancestor of mine is said to have been one of the most powerful wizards in history, so it’s possible I took after them…somehow.” They sighed. “I don’t know. It’s hard to control. I’m afraid that, if I use an attack on you, it might do some real damage.”

“Don’t be. It’s good that you can use a lot of magic. If I _do_ end up hurting you, I can heal you.”

“I’ll heal over time. I…I think I can do the same if you’re injured—that’s what I was told, anyway.”

“Okay, but don’t waste your powers on me. I’ll be fine. Here goes,” a projectile slowly made its way towards Sam. “All you have to do is dodge it. Remember.”

Sam nodded and balled their fists. “O-okay. I can do this.” Sam was just about to avoid the bullet when their opponent was hit by a magical orb. His attack dissolved in midair. “Hey! Are you okay? Uh, flower monster?” They looked in all directions for their companion. _Did I do that? This was exactly what I was talking about!_ They thought.

“My, my, what an awful creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth!” A woman’s voice echoed throughout the cavern.

“What? No! He didn’t—I mean he wasn’t! He was teaching me self-defense!” Sam yelled to no one in particular as they got on their knees to search for the flower. “Where did he go? What did you do with him?”

“Now, now, my child,” a figure stepped out of the shadows, “don’t be alarmed. I am Toriel, Guardian of the Ruins.” A tall monster with white fur, a tattered, black tunic, and crooked horns towered over them. A disturbing smile spread on her face as she regarded Sam.

“Please,” they begged, “where is my friend?”

“Sam!” The flower was about to burrow his way over to them when Toriel shot another sphere in his direction.

“You stay here, you putrid little _weed!_ ” She spat. “That was your warning.”

“Don’t hurt him! He didn’t do anything to me, I swear.” Sam pleaded.

Toriel folded her arms. “Very well, but he is not to be trusted. I will leave him be if you agree to come with me to safety.”

“I’m not leaving without him.” Sam stood up and stared her right in the eye. Though they feared the consequences of defying her orders, they didn’t relent. Concern for themself—and, more importantly, for their mentor—filled them with BRAVERY.

“Fine. Flowey can come along too, I suppose,” Toriel waved her hand dismissively and rolled her eyes as she turned around. “Come now! We mustn’t delay.” _So that’s his name,_ Sam thought, _Flowey_.

“Sam, put me around your arm.” Flowey suggested.

Toriel scoffed. “They will do no such thing!” But Sam had already bent an arm for him to climb onto. The feeling of root tendrils snaking up their jacket sleeve made them want to flinch, but they didn’t want Toriel to get the wrong idea. The taller monster let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Come, child.” She said flatly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't already apparent, this is an Underfell timeline that is completely unique in its own right (because wizards). I didn't want to leave anybody hanging, so I've already written up quite a few chapters that I will post at regular intervals if people end up liking the story. However, this does not mean that constructive criticism is unwelcome! I read over each chapter multiple times and frequently edit before I post, so commentary that might help in the future (regarding syntax, clarity, what have you) is definitely appreciated. 
> 
> It's probably also worth noting that this is my first work on ao3, so I apologize for any formatting mistakes. I tried my best to avoid them.


	2. Into the Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Flowey venture deeper into the Ruins in search of the exit. They meet quite a few obstacles along the way, and it's up to Sam to decide how to handle them.

Toriel explained various aspects of the ruins as they walked. “…These little stone placards tell of our history after the war against humanity—Oh! Stop, child!” She held out an arm to keep Sam behind her. “You see these square panels before us? This is the first of many puzzles we’ll encounter here in the Ruins. They were originally set to thwart any humans who happened to pass through. Luckily, they haven’t fulfilled their purpose yet!” She said with a laugh. “As much as I encourage you to use your own intellect in mental exercises such as these, puzzles down here are what you might refer to as ‘booby traps’: One false move could cost you your life! But do not worry! I have lived here for quite some time. I know the solution to every puzzle! Take my hand.” Sam obeyed, though her large paws seemed to be covered with ash. Or maybe it was dust; everything else in the Ruins appeared to be caked with it, as well. “Watch your step now.” Toriel led them in a very distinct pattern along the tiles that Sam remembered as: Left, center, center, center, right, center, left. She let go of their hand once they were safely across. “Great job! I’m proud of you for placing so much trust in me. I won’t disappoint you. Now, I have to run an errand. Would you mind waiting here? I won’t be too long. Oh! Here, take this.” She handed them a beat-up flip phone. “It’s a little rough around the edges, but it still does the job. My number’s already on it. Don’t hesitate to call if you need me, alright?” Her focus shifted to Flowey. “Or if that little _pest_ decides to do something sneaky.” Sam nodded, deciding not to tell her that they already possessed a smartphone. “Wonderful! I’ll be back soon, my child.” And with that, she departed.

Sam’s gaze swept across the new room they were in. Vines seeped through every crevice in the crumbling stone foundation, and even their leaves were dulled by layers of dust. “You know, I haven’t seen any other monsters around here.” It was a mystery how _anything_ could survive in this place.

“They’re not going to bother you with _her_ around—they know better—but now we have to be careful,” Flowey responded, “especially if we want this to work.”

“Maybe we should wait until she returns.” Sam suggested. “I mean, we don’t even know where the exit is. She might let it slip at some point.”

“Don’t worry about that. I know this place inside and out. I can show you exactly where the exit is. Go into the next chamber.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, I’ll leave it to you.” Sam nervously tugged at the drawstrings of their hoodie as they exited the room. All of the sudden, a jingle started playing from their jacket pocket, accompanied by periodic vibrations. It was an interesting choice for a ringtone: It almost sounded like a battle song, like the ones used for bosses in their friends’ video games. “Should I answer?” Flowey nodded. Sam picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello, my child!” Greeted a familiar voice on the other end. “You have not left the room, have you?”

“No, Ma’am.” Sam lied, noticing their palms were starting to feel a little slippery.

“Please, call me Toriel, or Mom…whichever you think suits me best, Sai.”

“Oh, it’s Sam.” They corrected politely.

“Ah, right. How silly of me.” There was an audible pause. “Anyway, I was wondering if you preferred snail pie or mud pie, if you do have a preference.”

They both sounded pretty horrible. Sam had eaten escargot before, but they were pretty sure snail pie would taste nothing like that. “May I have the mud pie, please?”

“Of course, dear! What wonderful manners. That is all. Byebye!”

“Goodbye.” Sam flipped the phone into its original position. “I think she knows we’ve left the room, Flowey.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She asked if I did, but I said no.” Sam replied.

“And she’s not here right now, is she?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then she doesn’t know we’ve left the room. Trust me, we’re fine. Just don’t give yourself away.” Flowey assured them. The adjacent bed of yellow flowers quivered suddenly—it still bothered Sam that they couldn’t place a name, even though they had more important things to worry about. “Be on your guard now,” Flowey warned. Sam walked quietly down the path when something heavy jumped on their back.

“Hey!” Sam rolled over and scrambled to their feet to face their attacker. “What the hell?” The assailant looked like a frog, only it was much bigger.

“Ugh, not these guys.” Flowey groaned.

“Who—what is it?”

“It’s a Froggit. They’re easy to defeat, but they’re all over the place. I should’ve warned you about them.”

“What do I do?” Sam panicked as their SOUL started to pulsate orange light.

“For now, just avoid his attacks. Remain calm; he can tell if you’re scared.”

“Okay.” Sam took a deep breath before dodging a swarm of ghostly flies, being sure to  block the arm that their friend was residing on in case one should come his way.

“Okay, so far, so good. Your move.” Said Flowey.

“Alright.” They approached the Froggit. “Uh, hi there! You look nice today.”

“What?!” Flowey nearly screamed. The Froggit couldn’t understand what Sam had said, but was flattered anyway. His next attack had fewer flies to evade.

“Look! He lowered his guard! I knew I could do this without the use of violence!” Sam exclaimed proudly. They addressed their adversary with more confidence. “I really mean it, though that’s probably how you always look.” The Froggit blushed and lowered his attack once again. After Sam avoided the insects, they noticed their opponent’s SOUL changing from white to yellow inside his chest.

“What should I do now?” Sam wondered. Flowey shrugged apathetically. The Froggit appeared to be in a good mood and no longer seemed interested in fighting. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Froggit, Sir! Have a lovely day!” Sam continued on the path. The Froggit croaked in response.

“What just happened?” Said Flowey stoically.

“I think I won him over with kindness!” Sam beamed. Maybe this world wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“That was a rhetorical question, Sai.”

“Not you, too!” Sam sighed in frustration.

“…What?”

“First Toriel, now you…why does everyone seem to think my name is Sai?”

The flower paused. “Oh, is that what I said?”

“Is that, like, a mutual friend?” Sam asked.

Flowey avoided their gaze. “I—I guess you could say that. Whoa, hold up.” Sam stopped. “I think there’s someone in that flowerbed ahead of us.” He lowered his voice to a whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I really didn't expect to get hits yet! I decided to upload the next bit a little early; I'm really glad people are enjoying the story so far. Also, I apologize for this chapter being significantly shorter, but bigger things are coming up next, so I thought it would be easier to break the Ruins--which will be Part One of the story-- into three chapters instead of two. 
> 
> I should also mention that Sai is like this timeline's Chara, except that his agenda is more ambiguous. Exactly who he is and what became of him will be discussed at length later in the story.
> 
> Thanks again for your interest!~


	3. Heart Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Flowey are close to the exit, but Toriel blocks the way.

Sam couldn’t make anyone out, but they approached the bed with caution nonetheless. Its original flowers were long gone; instead, an assortment of recognisable weeds had taken their place. A ghostly figure with headphones and an mp3 player was lying among them only a few feet away. _I guess things like that don’t bother you if they go right through you_ , they thought.

“We have to figure out how to get around him without raising his awareness. Go slowly.” Flowey cautioned.

“Gotcha.” The garden patch stretched from one wall to the other, so they had no choice but to go through it. As long as they watched out for vines and kept stinging nettle from touching the skin below their highwaters, they would be alright. Unfortunately, it was harder to mute the sound of crunching leaves at any walking speed.

“Wha—what’s going on?” The apparition shook off his headphones. “Intruders?”

“ _Shit_ ,” Flowey muttered. Sam froze immediately, but it was too late.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” The ghost rose up and eyed Sam from top to bottom. “You’re not a monster!”

“Uhhh.” Sam stammered as their SOUL emitted a familiar orange hue.

“Why don’t you just turn back? I’m not in the mood to fight today.” The ghost turned away.

“Please, Sir, uh…”

“It’s Napstablook.”

“Can we please pass your flowerbed, Mr. Napstablook? We don’t want to fight, either.”

“M’afraid that’s not how it works. I’m going to ask you one more time: Please leave me alone.”

“Mr. Napstablook,” Sam begged, “we really need to get going. Besides, I have nowhere to turn back t—.”

“That’s it! I’m tired of hearin’ your whining! You think you’re the only one with _problems_ , kid?” Napstablook produced tear-shaped projectiles from his eyes as he spoke. Was he actually crying?

Sam managed to dodge all of them, though they weren’t expecting an attack so soon. “No, Sir, I just really need to get by.” They asked as politely as they could manage.

“Why?” He shot back. “It’s not gonna matter whether or not I let you go—nothing matters. Just let me sulk in peace.”

Sam avoided all but one, which struck them in the arm. “Ow!”

“Sam!” Exclaimed Flowey, but they continued, holding their arm as they spoke.

“Why are you sulking? Are you alright? Do you need someone to talk to?”

“What? No! No one needs to hear about my issues.” Napstablook’s teardrops slowed to a drizzle. “I’m not worth it, anyway.”

“Yes, you are! I’ll listen to you.” Sam replied.

“Kid, you’re not even doing that now. I said go away!” His attack increased and they were hit two more times.

“Quit messing around!” Yelled Flowey. “You’re wasting your moves! This isn’t group therapy.”

“Hey, I know what it’s like to feel that way. I know it seems pointless, but talking to someone about your problems really does help. I’m here for you.”

The ghost inhaled. “Fine.”

“You’ll let me help you?” Sam’s eyes lit up.

He floated to the side. “No, I’ll let you go. I really don’t have the energy to deal with this.”

Sam’s face fell. “So, you don’t want my help?”

“Just go!” Their companion pulled at their good arm as best he could.

“You better listen to your flower friend there.” Napstablook chimed in. “Get outta here before I change my mind.”

“Oh.” They paused. “O-okay. It was nice talking to you, Mr. Napstablook, Sir.”

“Uh-huh.” He gave them a slight nod as they passed him by.

“Well, that didn’t really feel like a victory,” They muttered once they were back on solid ground.

“Sometimes you just have to take what you can get.” The flower monster shrugged his leaves.

Sam looked down at their feet as they continued on the dirt path. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am!” He stated matter-of-factly. “I also just remembered that you can’t kill a ghost, even if you tried.” They gave him an annoyed look. “What?”

“Why does everything have to mean death with you? I just got by two monsters without lifting a finger against them!”

“And you think the rest of the Underground is going to be that easy? Monsters in the ruins are child’s play; they don’t have any real motive to kill unprovoked, anyway.” The two walked in silence. “Hey, wait a minute!”

Sam stopped. “What is it?”

“Look over there. That’s her house!” Flowey pointed one of his roots just out of their peripheral vision.

Sam turned their head and saw a worn-down—but still habitable—stone structure with depressions where the water from dripping stalactites had cut through the rock. The front door was made of wood that appeared to have been painted with intricate designs at one point in its life. “Oh, yeah. It must be.”

“How did we get here so fast? I remember there being way more puzzles and monsters than that.”

“Uh…shortcut?” Sam shrugged their shoulders.

“Sai! Is that you?” A voice called from behind.

“Oh. Hello, Mom.” Sam said as calmly as they could.

“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me, you little _brat!_ ” Toriel grabbed them by their injured arm. “I told you to wait where I left you, and what do you do? You could have gotten yourself killed!”

“But I’m alright!” Sam winced in pain as they tried to wrestle themself free from her iron grip. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Oh no you don’t! I’m not letting you out of my sight _ever_ again.” Toriel said through gritted teeth. A tiny pellet hit her wrist, causing her to let go of Sam’s arm. “Ow! What the hell was that?” But by the time she had come to her senses, Sam was nowhere to be seen.

“Sai? Sai! You get back here right now or I’ll—.” Her head whipped around at the sound of the front door locking. “Insolent child! You’ll get yours soon enough.”

“Thanks for helping to free me, Flowey, but I can’t stay invisible forever! Where do I go from here?” Sam panicked.

“Calm down, everything’s going to be fine. The exit’s in the basement. I was hoping we could sneak in unannounced, but—.”

“Wait, you knew it was here all along?” Sam interrupted.

“Well, yeah.”

“Then why couldn’t we have waited where we were? She would have led us right here anyway!” Their raised their voice in frustration.

“Sam, you have to understand: Toriel has been through a lot, more than any mother should ever have to go through. Her past has robbed her of her sanity, and she’s very unstable. She could love you one minute and then…and then want to kill you the next, especially since she thinks you’re Sai.” Flowey explained.

“Whose mother was she?” Sam asked just as the front door flew off its hinges, followed by a fiery blast.

“Gogogogogo!” Flowey yelled. “Not a moment to lose! You _have_ to make it!”

Toriel stood in the doorway with a wild look in her eyes. “ _Where is that miserable imp? I’ll show them!_ ” Her eyes suddenly softened and she seemed to recollect herself. “Oh no, w-what have I done? My child! My dear, sweet child! Come back, please!” Sam was almost moved to pity, but Flowey tugged their good arm in the direction of the staircase. “We can be a family again, Sai. You, me, and Asriel. We can rebuild our lives here. Please, come out, Sai. I promise not to hurt you.” Sam’s next step landed on a creaky floorboard. Toriel’s head snapped in the direction of the noise. “ _You’re not getting away this time, Sai! You will pay for your transgressions! I will find you and I will murder you like you did my son._ ”

Flowey squeezed Sam’s arm hard enough to bruise. They ran down the stairs, but Toriel was one thought ahead of them. She seemed to know where they were going, even though they hadn’t made another sound. _Has something like this happened before?_ Sam thought. An orb dispersed its energy right at Sam’s heels as they reached the lower level, nearly causing them to lose their balance. In that time, however, Toriel had made it to the end of the corridor and blocked the final doors.

“You’re gonna have to run at her, Sam.” Flowey whispered. “She still doesn’t know where you are, and your spell isn’t going to last much longer. Just run as fast as you can and throw yourself on those doors. You can make it. You just gotta have courage.” Sam nodded, knowing he couldn’t see it, and ran full speed at Toriel. They ducked under one of her guarding arms and threw themselves at the doors. Toriel managed to hear Sam at the last second and grabbed the arm that their friend was clinging onto. _No! You can’t have him!_ Sam jerked their shoulder forward with just enough force to loosen the monster’s grip and was catapulted face-first into the snow when she lost her hold. When they stood back up, they could hear her manic, bloodcurdling screams as the huge oaken doors closed shut.

“I—I did it. _We_ did it! We made it, Flow—” Sam suddenly realised that the familiar weight on their uninjured arm was no longer there. They couldn’t believe what their senses were telling them until they saw their jacket sleeve, still imprinted where Flowey’s vines had been. “No.” Sam barely whispered. “Flowey! Flowey, where are you?” Tears flooded Sam’s eyes as they called out his name a few more times—no, he wouldn’t want them to put their safety in jeopardy for his sake. After all he did for them, they had to keep moving; they had to be BRAVE. Sam trudged forward with the hope that their friend had somehow escaped and was searching for them just as frantically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third and final installment of The Ruins, Part I. I'm going to try and make a regular schedule for posting chapters--I think it'll be somewhere around once a week, and probably on weekends.   
> It's also worth mentioning that there will be a few plot similarities with Undertale, but they won't go into quite as much detail. For example, Sam only fought a few monsters in the Ruins, the principle reason for this being that I thought it would be tedious to write the battle scenarios for a handful of monsters, especially since the ones in the Ruins are not of as much variety as in the world outside. At the same time, there will be more instances of originality with the storyline, considering that Underfell doesn't even have a fanon plot--it was initially created for the character designs. Therefore, I will utilize my license of creativity to the best of my ability.  
> Thanks for sticking around, and I will see you again in the next chapter.~


	4. Enemy Approaching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is forced to continue without their companion after losing him to the Ruins. They must battle the new arctic climate if they want to survive...and any monsters that get in their way.

Sam walked warily through the snowy forest. As far as they knew, everything in this god-forsaken cave was out to kill them. Even the trees seemed to scowl and lash their limbs at them. But that was just the wind, they were sure of it. A gale kicked up snow from the path, temporarily blinding them and causing them to shiver violently. They weren’t dressed for this weather as it was, since they most certainly weren’t expecting to be subjected to such a brutal climate. Another gust whistled past and refused to let up. Sam tucked their hands into the front pockets of their jacket, which prevented them from getting any colder, but didn’t provide any detectable heat. They kept walking for God-knows-how-long in the tundra, clinging to the hope that, eventually, they would find shelter. After all, it was just a cavern; how big could it really be?

“Still, I’m really tempted to use my powers to warm up,” Sam whispered to themself, “but I’ll only burn out faster. Besides, there’s still a chance that I might run into more adversaries—. ”

A fusillade of spear-like projectiles buried themselves in the snow in front of Sam, forming a kind of barrier between them and the bridge ahead. “Greetings, Human,” a gruff voice chuckled darkly, “I’m afraid your time here, however brief, is coming to an end.”

Sam turned around to face the speaker, whose outline was still shrouded in the storm. Two bright red lights shown from what they assumed to be the stranger’s head. “I just want you to know that I will defend, but I refuse to fight you.” Their voice wavered a bit, but they would not be intimidated. “And it would be c-cowardly of you to fight someone who will not fight back.”

The figure laughed as it walked forward, revealing a tall, armoured skeleton with a menacing grin. “But you _have_ the ability to fight me. If you actively choose to restrain from attacking, it will be no one’s undoing but your own.” The objects that held Sam back shot upward and circled above their head. “You must think you’re some kind of martyr for trying to spare me. Ha! you think you’re some sort of saint?” The attacker rose his right hand in the air with a closed fist and quickly pulled it back down. Sam jumped out of harm’s way as the projectiles slammed into the snow. They looked a lot like large bones. “When I’m done with you, no one will remember you. You won’t be heralded as a hero.” The skeleton punctuated his sentence with a second wave of bombardments, which Sam barely managed to dodge. “You won’t get special burial rites. In fact, you’ll be lucky if your remains are _recognisable_ when this is over.” The opponent cackled as he pulled a red bone from a quiver on his back. “Even so, everyone in the Underground will know that I, no one other than the Great and Terrible Papyrus, was the bringer of your mortal doom.” Sam tried to evade it, but the bone followed them like a heat-seeking missile and struck their thigh, spreading tendrils of agony throughout the body. They yelped in pain as they fell to the ground. The skeleton named Papyrus approached them and raised serrated fragments from the first attack. “So much for being a hero. Goodbye, Human.” He threw the bone shards at full force, but Sam quickly raised a hand and stopped them midair. The monster stumbled back in shock. “The blue bone should have held you down. How are you doing that? Humans can’t use magic!”

Sam was actually surprised at their reflexes, but they couldn’t let it show. They slowly stood up, making sure not to put too much weight on their injured leg. “You’re right. Humans can’t use magic.” They closed their hand and the fragments crumbled to dust. “But I never said I was human.”

“What creature that resembles a human could possibly wield so much power?” Papyrus snarled, but Sam could detect fear in his voice.

“The kind that trapped you down here in the first place.” Sam’s eyes seemed to light up as a bright ball of magic materialized in their hand. They didn’t intend to use it, but hoped that it would be enough of an incentive to stop the battle.

The skeleton’s glowing eyes only seemed to brighten. “A _sorcerer_? Then I suppose that’s all the more reason to kill you.”

“It’d take a lot to kill me, and my SOUL is just about useless for anything else, being mostly magic.” They countered. They recalled their mother saying something about monsters needing only _human_ SOULs to be set free when they were younger. “Mine would probably disintegrate before you’re given the chance to do anything with it. Trust me, it’s not worth your time.”

“Lies!” Huge skulls appeared behind the skeleton. “Mark my words, Sorcerer,” the monster spat, “you will perish.” The skulls opened their mouths and released beams of concentrated light, but they hit their creator instead of their intended target, draining all of his health. “How can this be?” He stumbled and fell to the ground.

Sam stood over their enemy, now frightened. “S-simple reflection spell. I h-had to use it.” It took a sizeable chunk out of their own health, but they didn’t know it would harm him in return. Still, they couldn’t let him die. Sam drew a deep breath; they knew they had to fix this.

The skeleton coughed. “At least I fought until the very end. At least I _tried_ to fight.” His now visible SOUL started blowing away into dust. It was the same colour of the residue Sam had seen in the Ruins. The memory made them shudder.

“Not today, my friend.” They smiled gently and held out a hand.

He recoiled in disgust. “I never was, nor will be, your friend. Keep your surface filth off of me and let me fall in peace.” But they ignored him and placed their hands on the skeleton’s sternum, right above his SOUL, knowing he would be too weak to resist.

“I’m not letting you go out like this.” Sam’s palms began to glow with a warm, orange hue as they bent over him. They shivered as the dust returned and made Papyrus whole again, but they held their hands steadily; they could feel their already dwindling life force begin to wane. When the process was complete, Sam smiled weakly. “I know this doesn’t make us friends, but I hope that this ends our rivalry as bitter enemies.” They fell face first into the snow as the last word escaped their lips.


	5. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter narrates events that took place while Sam was unconscious, after their battle with Papyrus. ((I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated, and I also apologize for the length of this chapter, compared to previous ones. I promise more excitement is on the way.))  
> Also, a heads up for some occasional language.

Sans’ post-duty nap was interrupted by a knock at the door and a muffled voice yelling at him to get off his lazy ass and open up. _Can’t he just open it himself? He has thumbs, Christ,_ Sans grumbled as he pushed himself up. When he opened the door, he saw his younger brother carrying a body with its head supported by one arm and its knees by the other.

“Boss! What the fuck is all this? Is that…is that a _human_? You killed a human and—and now you’re bringing it home as some sort of trophy? Jeez, that’s twisted, even for you. You’re not taking it in the house—who knows where it’s been?”

“Shut up, you insufferable idiot!” Papyrus barked. Then, in a much calmer voice, he said. “I think you’ve forgotten who gives the orders around here, dear brother. Now, make yourself useful for once and go fetch some blankets.”

Sans was utterly confused by his command, but he acquiesced. When he returned to the living room, his brother had carefully placed the body on the couch.

“What are you standing around for? Put it over them.” The taller skeleton snapped.

As Sans spread the blankets and extra bedsheets over the miserable-looking creature, he noticed its chest quivering as it rose and fell. “Is it alive?”

“Yes, Sans, the sor—err—the _human_ is quite alive. They require heat. They are not to be harmed.” Papyrus replied blankly and cleared his nonexistent throat. “Now, I have some business to attend to with the Royal Guard. Watch over them while I am gone and help them warm up should they awake. They must be kept alive and healthy…for the time being,” his sockets narrowed, “it would be in your best interest not to fall asleep on the job.” He draped the tattered tail of his crimson scarf over his shoulder and exited just as quickly as he had entered.

“What does he want to do with them?” Sans mused to himself. His brother’s behavior was so out of character it was unnerving.  There was obviously something else going on here that he just couldn’t comprehend. He pulled back the covers to get a better look at his charge. Ringlets of dark brown hair clung to their caramel-colored skin, making it harder for him to get the view he’d hoped for. Their breaths were shallow, but steady. Sans took that as a good sign. He pulled up a chair next to the couch so it would be easier to tell if they started to move. _You know, humans don’t look half as bad as I expected them to,_ he thought as he put the covers back in their proper place, _at least, that applies to this one_.

…

“The Great and Terrible Papyrus—one of the fiercest monsters with a record number of kills and the Co-captain of the Royal Guard—has _spared_ them?” She didn’t think the subject would last long after she was first able to spy them coming out of the ruins. Both the skeleton monster and the newcomer had subverted her expectations. “A human with enough goodness in them to placate someone like him _must_ have something unique about them.” She paused the recording on the main monitor of Papyrus carrying his former opponent, still breathing, through the snowstorm, and used a scaly finger to blow up the image. Another screen showed looping footage of the specimen wandering through Snowdin Forest, trembling with their hands hidden from view. What had happened in between those time frames had taken place outside of the cameras’ scopes. It was unfortunate that she didn’t have the whole story. “Perhaps I should report this to the king, but,” she chuckled darkly, “he doesn’t have to know right away. If I let this little charade continue long enough, they might just bring themself to us. The _traitor_ can get his later.” She pulled a pen and notebook out of a desk drawer. “Besides, I have a feeling things are about to get interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I can't believe it's been exactly a month since I started this story. The next few chapters should be a bit longer.


End file.
